Meanwhile, Rachel Morris outlines the vital role clerks of works perform in construction projects, Anna Thompson explains why the enforcement of Building Regulations has declined significantly over the past decade, and Dr Chris Cocking argues that panic is a poor way of modelling crowd behaviour in emergencies.

Elsewhere in this edition, Karen Rogers outlines RICS initiatives to encourage future talent into the profession, the co-author of the recently published Whole Life Carbon Assessment for the Built Environment Simon Sturgis reviews this RICS professional statement, and Diego Alves rounds up the various types of building facade.

As always, I welcome your thoughts and ideas about the sector and the journal itself, so please do get in touch with me.

Barney works with professionals to produce the Building Surveying Journal and Building Control Journal which support building surveyors in the technical and professional aspects of their day-to-day work.